1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to alerts and alarm systems and, more particularly, to a method for providing an alarm to prevent inadvertent unplugging of a power cord attached to an electrical device, apparatus or equipment.
Hospitals, doctor and medical office buildings use a wide variety of electrical devices and monitoring equipment that requires electrical power to function. The word “equipment” as used herein is meant to include any type of an electrical device or an apparatus that includes an electrical power cord that is plugged into a standard 120-VAC (or other voltage) electrical duplex outlet to receive the electrical power. Some equipment of this type may also include a back-up battery for use during power failures or when away from a duplex outlet. However, the back-up battery must periodically be charged by electricity using the power cord.
At times, there may only be one particular type of equipment (i.e., blood pressure monitor) or limited quantities available for use at the hospital, medical building, or doctor's office. These types of equipment are usually equipped with wheels or kept on a cart for easy transportation from room to room. As there is likely more patients than available equipment, medical staff must share the same piece of equipment for use with numerous patients.
Due to a sense of urgency present at most medical facilities, remembering proper procedure for transporting the equipment may be difficult. Nursing and medical staff may be rushing to tend to the needs of a patient and have those needs on their mind. It is easy to forget that the piece of equipment that they need is plugged in to a power outlet.
In addition, other similar situations can occur at facilities not related to the medical industry. Various other types of electrical devices and equipment require connection to a 120-VAC power outlet for operation. At times, the equipment may need to be transported from one location to another location. Even if a person is not rushing or in a hurry, it may be easy to forget to unplug the equipment prior to transport.
As mentioned previously, the desired equipment (or device) is equipped with wheels or kept on a cart. As the staff member is likely very busy, there is potential risk of not unplugging the power cord prior to moving the equipment. If the power cord remains plugged into the power outlet as the equipment is being moved to a new location, tension provided by the moving equipment or cart may cause damage to the power cord or outlet.
In worst-case scenarios, the power cord may stay plugged into the outlet and act as a leash. Tension provided by the power cord can abruptly stop the moving equipment and cause the equipment to fall over. Severe damage to the equipment can occur. If the equipment is sitting on top of a cart, the entire cart may tip over and the equipment can fall off the cart and be severely damaged.
Alarm systems are well-known ways of providing alerts to individuals to get their attention. The alert may be for notifying staff members if a patient has fallen out of their bed or wheelchair. They can also range from emergency alerts for notifying staff of particular needs of a patient to providing an alarm as part of a home security system.
However, there has not yet been an effective method to alert a person to unplug a piece of equipment prior to its transport.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a method for detecting motion of an electrical device or apparatus that helps to ameliorate the above-mentioned problems and difficulties as well as ameliorate those additional problems and difficulties as may be recited in the “OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION” or discussed elsewhere in the specification or which may otherwise exist or occur and that are not specifically mentioned herein.
As various embodiments of the instant invention help provide a more elegant solution to the various problems and difficulties as mentioned herein, or which may otherwise exist or occur and are not specifically mentioned herein, and by a showing that a similar benefit is not available by mere reliance upon the teachings of relevant prior art, the instant invention attests to its novelty. Therefore, by helping to provide a more elegant solution to various needs, some of which may be long-standing in nature, the instant invention further attests that the elements thereof, in combination as claimed, cannot be obvious in light of the teachings of the prior art to a person of ordinary skill and creativity.
Clearly, such a method for detecting motion of an electrical device or apparatus would be useful and desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Alarm systems, in general, are known.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.